Fighting Smiling Demon
by LiveTake
Summary: Okazaki Ryoku had to admit, he didn't look the part of a good person. A Quirk that slowly changes him into a Demon-looking thing, a love for fighting, and a peculiar, face-splitting smile whenever he throws down? Not the ideal recipe for a productive member of society. If it's for his little sister though, he'll try his best to be someone she can be proud of. Maybe even a Hero.
1. Chapter 1: A Complicated Past

"Good night, Shizu."

"Onii-chan?"

Beckoned by his little sister, fifteen-year-old Okazaki Ryoku glanced downward to meet her inquisitive gaze, her face illuminated by the moonlight shining through the window in her room that couldn't quite close all the way. Snugly tucked into bed, Shizuka's bright, blue irises, the same color as her older brother's, stared back up at him. The shared sapphire hue of their eyes was characteristic of their mother's unique Demon Boost Quirk, a hereditary Quirk that had been passed down through many generations on the maternal side of their family. It was a Quirk that could manifest itself in wildly different ways from person to person depending on how it combined with their other parent's Quirk. One of their uncles could attain almost superhuman levels of stamina, while a cousin experienced this Quirk in the form of greatly enhanced mental capabilities upon activation. Without exception however, full activation would result in a luminescent, blue glow of the entire eye region, as well as a dark blue coloration of the skin, which would gradually spread as the Quirk acquired charge. The Demon name for the Quirk was more of a descriptor for the change in appearance its users underwent than anything else. These changes would slowly revert over time when the user's body and mind returned back to a resting state.

As everyone in his age range started to manifest their unique Quirks, Ryoku had endured his fair share of taunts from the kids in school over the morphing of his bodily features that Demon Boost would cause. The insults were often crude; the boy would find himself under fire from such creative insults as "villain wannabe" and "ugly freak". He often wondered how so many of his classmates could loudly proclaim their ambitions to become heroes while bullying someone based on their appearance at the same time. Although he never let it show, Ryoku took rather personal offense to "ugly freak". He still didn't exactly see himself as a regular Casanova, but the sapphire-eyed teen liked to think he wasn't all that bad. Ryoku was especially fond of his hair, sporting bangs that draped over the middle and the sides of a face that was somewhere between round and angular, with enough hair in the back to tie up into a short ponytail. However, his eyes were rather narrow, and even he had to admit that they gave him a somewhat devious appearance. Ryoku often found himself thinking that this couldn't be any farther from what he was. He was stubborn and straightforward in what he liked and didn't like, and despite all the trouble it caused him, there was something simple that he enjoyed above everything else.

Fighting.

The conditions for charging the Demon Boost Quirk were shared between all those who possessed it: repetitive action of the boosted ability granted by the Quirk. Thus, a younger Ryoku had simply responded to any perceived insult by performing the action required to charge his Quirk.

Which was also fighting.

Demon Boost had combined for Ryoku in an interesting way with his late father's Energy Ball Quirk. On top of a Boost to his reflexes and dexterity, an aura-like energy would gradually gather around his hands and feet, which he could either fire off as short-range projectiles, or keep in place around his extremities to give his punches and kicks a destructive wallop. Both aspects of his Quirk required prolonged combat in order to achieve significant charge.

'I basically start every fight as a Quirkless guy who can move and dodge a little better than normal' he'd explained to one of his only friends at school during a discussion about their Quirks.

Well aware of this drawback, Ryoku trained tirelessly to improve his body and his striking techniques for battle. On the other hand, this also meant that while other people tended to fade later in fights, Ryoku's Quirk allowed him to gain in potency as time went on.

"Bedtime, squirt," Ryoku chided as he plopped an index finger on his scarred, bruised hand down onto the tip of his sibling's button nose, causing her to scrunch up her face in protest. "You should be getting some shut-eye."

"Can you read me the one about the frog and the toad before you leave?" came the girl's simple request.

"Why do you like that little picture book so much, Shizu?" Ryoku queried with a small sigh as he regarded his little sister. "Don't you like reading all those crazy science books?"

As far as Ryoku was concerned, Science could've come to offer him a hug and he'd still smack it across the face. And yet, he couldn't help but look in amazement as his little sister spent her time pouring through books about the stars and the solar system. Sometimes she was beyond his comprehension.

"...Frogs are cute."

And sometimes, Shizuka was exactly the six-year-old child her older brother knew her to be.

"I mean sure, but-"

"I also enjoy the weird noises you make for the animals, onii-chan."

"..."

Shizuka was in the first grade, and already teachers were starting to talk to her mom about accelerated learning programs for her academically inclined six-year-old. She was a reserved and thoughtful girl, who spoke concisely and never betrayed many emotions on her face unless under extreme distress. While books had a tendency to put her older brother to sleep, Shizuka loved to read. Rather than objects like stuffed animals, rows of books lined the shelves of her small room instead, many of them gifts from their much richer maternal uncle and aunt. She was Ryoku's pride and joy, and he couldn't have been more happy that his little sister didn't appear to share in his more violent proclivities.

Martial arts classes by the time Ryoku was six had been his father's idea of "toughening the kid up". While a dark resentment made up most of what he felt about the man now, there was a time when Ryoku had desired nothing more than the grunts of affirmation he'd get from coming home and showing his father the cuts and bruises on his face and hands. Anything to make his dad proud of him.

Thus, that had become the blue-eyed boy's way of seeking validation from the father he once looked up to. Soon, the other kids in school began to actively avoid him. They would avoid him during lunchtime and never dare to approach him for group work. A painful loneliness took root in little Ryoku's heart. This only made him lash out further, desperate for his father's approval in the absence of friends amongst his peers.

Until one day, his father had been taken from him. The thirteen-year-old no longer knew what he'd been striving for.

Words left unspoken in grief and pain following his father's death until they'd faded into nothingness left Ryoku with a complicated relationship with his mother. He knew instinctively that he loved his mom, but words were hard to find when he was around her.

Still, Ryoku believed that no one had it worse Shizuka, who had loved her father with all her heart. The look on his little sister's face and the sound of her wails as she cried tears of sorrow and disbelief when he told her that their father wouldn't be coming home anymore was still burned into Ryoku's memory. He had thought his father was slowly changing his ways when Shizuka was born. The long periods of absence from their home to "make a quick yen on the side" were beginning to become less frequent, and his father would actually entertain family outings to bring Shizuka to the park, which he'd never done for Ryoku.

"There's my little princess," he'd proclaim happily as Shizuka would charge into his arms whenever he came home.

Something seemed to change in the man when his daughter was born to him. For Ryoku's part however, he hadn't been upset by the attention his father would lavish upon his sister. Her smiling, giggling face had given her older brother true hope that they could become a close knit, "normal" family. The kind of family that didn't feature his mom constantly screaming at her husband to shape up for the sake of his child, which would inevitably result in an angrily slammed door and then yet another indeterminate stretch of time without his dad at home. The kind of family he'd watch shows about on their small TV and would always be secretly envious of.

All hope faded on a chilly October night when the police came knocking on their door.

_"Mrs. Okazaki, we have some unfortunate news."_

His father had been found dead. A drug deal gone tragically wrong. Ryoku had barely reacted in time to keep his mother standing when her legs gave out at the news. As he held her up with the help of the police officers who had come to deliver the news, time seemed to melt around him. Ryoku would never see his father again. Never see him laughing with Shizu as he carried her merrily around their run-down apartment. The sapphire-eyed boy had never wanted to admit it. But now he knew.

_'Dad was a criminal... He'd always been a criminal.'_

* * *

_"Okazaki Ryoku, huh?"_

_Two weeks had passed since Ryoku's father had been killed. The days crawled by in a slow haze. He'd taken a few days off from school, but returning there had done nothing to bring back any sense of normality. Home was where he would patiently comfort his heartbroken little sister while their mother forced herself listlessly around the house to cook and clean before she'd lock herself in her room. The sniffles and whimpers Ryoku heard from his mother's door drove him mad with feelings of helplessness and frustration. Meanwhile, school was where most of the kids already tended to stay away from him due to his penchant for fighting. He was even more of a social pariah now. The few friends he had in the first place also gradually strayed from his company, not wanting to be associated with the son of a criminal in a school where many aspired to be heroes._

_And yet here he stood, Mikami Eito, flanked by two friends whose names Ryoku had never bothered committing to memory. As far as Ryoku knew, Eito came from money, the son of a business tycoon dad who was rarely home to take care of family affairs._

_'I figured our fathers at least had that in common...' Ryoku thought to himself as he turned to face his fellow students. School had let out, and Ryoku was in a rush to get home to tend to his little sister. He didn't have time to be accosted like this. He also didn't have to be a genius to figure out the taunting hostility that laced Eito's words. Ryoku's frown deepened as he looked at the sneers etched on the faces of the teens. The emphasis put on his family name hadn't escaped his notice._

_"Look boys, Okazaki still answers to that disgrace of a name."_

_The two hangers-on snorted in laughter while Eito seemed completely proud of himself for the observation. Ryoku could only clench his fists, desperately trying to fight back the cold anger rising in his chest._

_'For Shizu's sake and mom's sake...' the sapphire-eyed teen forced himself to calm down by thinking of his family. Nothing good could come of this situation. He turned begrudgingly on his heel and began to walk away before he was again stopped in his tracks._

_"Mikami-kun, don't you feel bad for this degenerate's mom?" Ryoku slowly turned his head back to take a hard look at the one who'd dared to mention his mother. Green hair, a lopsided grin, and a look in his eyes that told Ryoku that this one had never been in a real confrontation._

_"Yeah, imagine giving birth to a waste of space like Okazaki," remarked Eito with a snort. "I'll tell you though, the one I really feel for is his sister-"_

_'...What?'_

_Everything Ryoku had bottled up inside over the last two weeks spilled uncontrollably over. Days of speaking nothing but gentle and consoling words to his sister had left him no outlet for the pain within his own heart. His father hadn't been able to fully turn away from the scant money his life of crime offered, and now he'd left his wife and children to pick up the pieces of their broken family._

_"Your Quirk." Ryoku turned his body fully around to face the three teens having fun at his expense. His narrow eyes bore a dangerous darkness._

_Eito was clearly taken aback by the sudden interruption, though he tried his best not to let it show. "Look, I've seen your grades so I know you're not the brightest, but we're gonna need you to speak in complete sente-"_

_"Your Quirk." Ryoku repeated simply. "Use it. And put your hands up."_

_The early November weather tended to have a calming effect on Ryoku, but the air right now held nothing but ill will and hostility. A somber wind blew softly over the scene._

_"Guys, let's just drop it," muttered the one who had yet to speak. Ryoku could tell from the shakiness in the boy's voice that he didn't want anything to do with a physical confrontation. For his part, the green haired one to the other side of their leader didn't exactly look enthralled by the prospect of a fight either._

_"What, are you scared of this punk, Saburo?" Eito growled at his lackey, a move which clearly intimidated the boy whom Ryoku now knew was named Saburo. Cowed into silence, Saburo could only look on as Eito stepped forward and got into a fighting stance._

_"...What the fuck are you smiling at, freak?"_

_Ryoku blinked at the question posed to him. 'Guess it's happening again'. The blue-eyed teen had realized over time (and after many questions regarding his sanity) that he had a rather peculiar habit whenever it was time for a brawl. _

_An eerie grin stretched across his features. _

_'Can't help it.'_

_His current situation was anything but happy, but nothing could replicate for Ryoku the feeling of testing himself in the realest way possible. This was what he knew best._

_"Let me wipe that ugly look off your ugly face for you!"_

_Eito charged forward as his underlings watched, his feet carrying him swiftly toward his target. Ryoku could feel his cheeks becoming sore as his smile stretched deeper across his face._

_A sloppy left hook came Ryoku's way, but as he leaned back to dodge the shot, his eyes widened in surprise. The left hand had whizzed past Ryoku, but a spike began to quickly shoot out of Eito's elbow instead. Ryoku had barely noticed in time thanks to the latent boost in reflexes granted by his Quirk. He'd managed to avoid a lethal blow, but a trickling feeling down cheek told him that contact had been made. A smirk now adorned the features of his opponent, whom Ryoku surmised had a Quirk that let him generate spikes from his body._

_"How's tha-" Eito had begun to taunt his opponent, but Ryoku quickly went on the offensive._

_A quick left jab found the face of the arrogant teen standing before him, followed by what looked to be a right hook. However, as Eito brought his spiked left arm up to block, Ryoku quickly pumped out a left kick to the body instead. A cry of pain and frustration left his opponent's mouth, and a spike now jutted out reflexively from Eito's body just as the spike on his left arm retracted back inside. To his dismay, Ryoku's leg had long since withdrawn from its target._

_'Looks like he can probably only generate one of those spikes at a time' Ryoku thought to himself. If that was the case, all he needed to do was feint and dodge. Judging by Eito's messy punch and the rigidity of his movements, Ryoku surmised that he definitely had the upper hand in technique. Like a tape on rewind, the taunts about his family looped over and over in his mind. He could feel the anger accelerating the charge on his Quirk against his will as dark blue energy already began to form around his hands._

_Deftly stringing together punches and kicks, Ryoku gradually started to break his opponents defenses. The feeling of his knuckles making swift and harsh contact on another human being was a high unlike any other. He was quickly building up his Demon Boost, while Eito was fading rapidly. All the while, a vicious smile remained glued on the blue-eyed teen's face. In contrast, fear and realization seemed to be setting in for his opponent. His face was a battered mess, and his breathing came out harsh and contracted thanks to all the body shots he'd taken._

_Eito's eyes widened as Ryoku renewed his vicious assault, a left jab seeming to come for his body this time. Predictably, a spike shot out from his midsection to defend. Eito's Quirk had made contact, but pain suddenly shot through his body as he realized what his opponent had done. Ryoku's energy infused left hand had grabbed onto the jutting spike, his extremely boosted reflexes allowing him to sense the exact timing to do so as the spike had shot out. A quick pivot of Ryoku's foot allowed for a picture perfect spin, and his elbow found its way beautifully but brutally slamming into his arrogant opponent's orbital bone. The spinning elbow attack had finally floored his opponent, but one look into Ryoku's menacing eyes made it clear that his desire to maim hadn't yet been sated._

_Eito's body thudded harshly onto the pavement, his head spinning and his vision blurring from the violent force of bone on bone contact crushing his face. His eyes barely managed to bring into focus his two "friends" as they stood petrified behind his fallen body. Their gazes were locked wholly onto the demonic visage approaching them. Eito followed their stares and felt his breath catch in his throat. The blue-eyed teen he had been mocking minutes before seemed entirely replaced by some kind of monster. Roughly half of the skin on Ryoku's face and neck was now blue, and his right eye flickered faintly in a bright, blue glow._

_All that remained of the person Eito had challenged was the face-splitting smile plastered onto the Demon boy's face._

_'!?'_

_Eito was in too much disarray to scream as Ryoku firmly grasped the spike still jutting out from his body. He tried frantically to withdraw the spike but found it impossible. Ryoku's grip on the protrusion was too firm, and Eito was too weakened to employ his Quirk properly. The panicked teen could do nothing but grasp hurriedly at his Quirk with both hands, his eyes begging the Demon boy standing over him to cease whatever he had in mind._

_"Okazaki, stop!"_

_Ryoku looked over at a pleading Saburo, who flinched visibly at the eye contact. The grin never left his face._

* * *

"Are you worried about tomorrow, Onii-chan?"

Ryoku suddenly found himself transported back to reality at the question his little sister had voiced. He was thankful that his train of thought had been stopped. That was far from being the end of what he'd done that day.

He never liked thinking about the incident, yet it crossed his mind often. People had gotten hurt that day because of him. Enough so that Ryoku was deemed too much of a threat to return to his middle school. Enough so that this incident had become a permanent black mark on his academic record. He hadn't even been able to find a school that would take him in for the remainder of the year.

And yet, it was because of all this that a mentor had been assigned to Ryoku to ensure he would be okay to resume his studies at a different school the following year. And it was because of the many torturous months he'd spent with his mentor that the teen had found what he wanted to do in life. He'd never say it out loud, but he knew he had a lot to be thankful to the old man for.

Including tomorrow's pivotal challenge which he'd need to overcome if he wanted to accomplish the goal he had set.

"Yeah," Ryoku admitted. "I am." He had sworn to himself that as long as he could help it, he would never lie to his little sister. After all, his father had fooled him for years until his untimely death.

He looked hard at Shizuka. He often wondered what she thought of him. For his part, he felt like a failure of a brother. As long as she'd been alive, her older brother would get into fights and come home to be yelled at by their mom. Even smiling around her made the teen self conscious. Did she see the same thing in his grin that everyone he'd hurt in his life had seen?

He wanted to get her out of the slums they were currently stuck in. He wanted to become a big brother she wouldn't mind bragging to her classmates about. He wanted her to look at him as a positive influence in her life.

In short, Ryoku wanted his little sister to be proud of him. And the first step to accomplishing this was simple.

Get accepted into the most prestigious high school for heroics in the country. UA High School.

However, given his troubled past, UA had informed him that while his grades had indeed shown tremendous improvement in his final year in middle school, there were still issues with allowing a kid who had gotten into more fights than the number of years he'd been alive to even take the entrance exams for a school designed to breed the heroes of tomorrow.

Thus, an interview with a sensei teaching at UA had been set up a week ago. Tomorrow was Ryoku's day of reckoning. And he had no clue in hell how he was going to impress a professional hero in any way. He'd just have to try his best.

"Well," Ryoku sighed as he headed toward Shizuka's bookshelf to find the picture book she so adored. "Even if no one else on Earth sees me this way."

He pulled the book out of its place on the shelf and looked into his sister's expectant eyes.

"I wanna be your hero at the very least."

"...You're embarrassing me."

Ryoku laughed softly as Shizuka covered her face in her blanket to cringe at what he'd said. His resolve was renewed. He'd try his best to make life brighter for his little sister. Even if it meant affecting strange animal noises for a children's picture book.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you enjoyed, or even if you didn't. Positive feedback as well as constructive criticism are both welcome. Follow the story if you'd like more, I plan to try my hardest to update this as quickly as I can. Love and peace, guys :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Opportunity

Harsh, but steady exhales faded into the rhythmic sounds of a speedbag ricocheting back and forth from the punches of a certain sapphire-eyed teen. It was here in his mentor's basement workout room where Ryoku had been training hard every morning since the final term of his middle school life had ended. Afternoons were for his part time job as a food delivery boy, and nights were for a lighter workout before he would return home for dinner and ultimately, bed. He was grateful to his mentor that such a place existed for him to utilize. There was no way in hell his family had anywhere near enough money for an entire house with a basement. Thus, the days of his vacation passed by in relative calm and monotony. Until today.

'_Just gotta convince a teacher at U.A. that I deserve a shot at their entrance exam… somehow.'_

On most days, the boy's mind was clear with a single-minded focus on powering through his workouts. However, today was not most days. Okazaki Ryoku's plans for his future rode almost entirely on whether or not he could successfully prove in an interview that he was a worthy candidate for admission into Japan's #1 school for Heroics. The prospect of this undertaking frayed at his nerves, and Ryoku could feel his heart beating even faster than normal as he continued to batter away.

_*Can't be touched, can't be stopped, can't be moved~* _

The echoes of his rights and lefts came to a halt as the alarm went off on Ryoku's phone. He allowed himself a moment to recover, hunching over with his hands on his knees as he took in big, greedy gulps of air. Sweat trailed off his face and body, hitting the floor below like small droplets of rain. Having successfully completed an hour of bag work, the boy walked over to the table where his phone sat. The music died as Ryoku tapped the center of the screen. He stared hard past the splintering cracks on his screen to check the time. His eyes could barely make out '8:00 AM'.

"There a bug on your phone or something, kid?" a gruff voice cut into the teen's efforts.

Ryoku looked up from his squinting to find his mentor standing on the stairs that lead down into the basement workout room. He was an imposing figure, tall and visibly fit, even in his old age and underneath the formalwear he usually wore.

"Nah, but I can see one standing in that stairwell right now," retorted the teen.

His mentor's white eyebrows knitted in displeasure. He looked the part of a wise-old-man archetype, a white beard adorned his face while his head shined brightly in its baldness. His actions were another matter entirely.

"Just kidding, Nakamura-sense -!"

A swift, sudden, and extremely strong headlock ensured that Ryoku never finished his apology.

"The day you can sense this old 'bug' coming directly at you is the day you can talk to me that way!" proclaimed a comically worked up Nakamura Shinpachi.

"'Directly at me', my ass!" the words came gasping out of the teen's mouth as his head was trapped in Shinpachi's firm grip. "Your Quirk's basically frickin' teleportation… let go of me before I drop my phone!" the boy continued to protest before finally being released. Once again, Ryoku was left wheezing for air today. A strong slap on his back further exasperated matters.

"Ah, lighten up, kid, you're lookin' good!" a mischievous smile that looked much too youthful spanned the older man's face as he laughed at his protégé's pain. "Can't say the same for that junker in your hand though."

'"_Lighten up" he says...'_ thought the teen to himself. When they'd first met, he remembered being thoroughly put off by Shinpachi's extremely serious presence and demeanor. The first proclamation his newly assigned mentor had made was to him was that he'd turn Ryoku into a respectable, functional student – whether he liked it or not. The boy immediately found himself thinking that he'd never get along with this man. He didn't look like someone who'd recognize a joke if it slapped him right in his bald head.

And yet, pain, sweat, and blood (mostly from Ryoku's end) had served to open the pair up to one another, and a remarkable bond was forged as a result. A bond that would continue onward even after their assigned time together had passed by.

In Ryoku, Shinpachi saw a child with all the physical potential in the world, but there were things that troubled him greatly about the boy as well. Immediately, he could spot a cold and dark anger behind Ryoku's sapphire eyes. In Shinpachi's time as a hero, he'd seen many young people with eyes like those. It was a gaze that would appear often in the eyes of youthful offenders, a look that seemed to say that they'd had enough with society and life. The veteran hero had decided that he wanted to do something about this issue. While the #1 Hero, All Might, did an admirable job of keeping crime rates down just from his very presence as Japan's Symbol of Peace, Shinpachi often found himself wondering if even All Might could penetrate through to those who found themselves quickly spiraling down the wrong path from an early age. Would they be so willing to change course because of a bright smile and hulking muscles far, far away in TV land? The way Shinpachi saw it, counseling these troubled youths early on before the life of crime could sink its toxic talons all the way into their impressionable minds could be a more effective way of curbing the problem of juvenile offenders. Thus, the older hero began in earnest to set up an initiative meant to tackle this problem, and he was able to put together a small agency for this purpose. The case of Okazaki Ryoku was one that struck close to home, and Shinpachi had chosen to handle this matter personally. He saw a lot of his former self in the young teen, after all.

"Keepin' your body in shape for the lovey ladies you're going to be meeting at U.A., are ya?" the older man asked with a bellowing laugh.

Ryoku coughed almost reflexively at his mentor's question, which effectively ruined any chance he had of playing it cool. Not that it would stop him from trying; the sapphire-eyed teen hated giving any sort of victory to Shinpachi.

"I don't have time for that," Ryoku responded simply.

"Nonsense," Shinpachi waved his hand dismissively at his student's declaration. "All boys your age think about girls. Just ask that kid from school that you hang out with, uh, what was his name again?"

Ryoku laughed outright at the mention of his berry-haired friend. Mineta Minoru was someone whom he'd met in his newly assigned middle school after his prior expulsion. When Ryoku had arrived at Kasagisan Middle School, most of the student body paid him no mind except to gossip about why a new kid had been stuck in their school so suddenly. The rumors were quite imaginative and included one about how Ryoku had no choice but to drop out from his previous school due to having become an extremely young father. He had struggled mightily to contain his laughter that day upon overhearing this from within a bathroom stall. Still, the teen didn't particularly mind at this point; he was used to having little to no friends, and he saw Kasagisan simply as a place to graduate middle school so he could move forward in his life. Besides, these were people who'd been together for two years at this point. There wasn't exactly room for him to intrude.

That all changed one hot and sunny July day as the trees swayed lightly in a cool, summer breeze. Ryoku found himself admiring the greenery that surrounded Kasagisan's school grounds after dismissal. Students filed out in their usual groups, chatting idly about the day's classes and the stifling temperatures. As the wind stopped, so too did the movements of the shrubbery around the blue-eyed boy. All except for one peculiar bush.

"_\- and if I time this right, it'll go down in history! A grand heist for the ages!"_

"_A grand what now?"_

"_Gah! What the – who's there!?"_

_Ryoku had snuck up on the ominous bush and followed the source of the panic-stricken voice coming from within it until his eyes came across a small, purple-haired boy. _

_It was there that he'd first met Mineta Minoru. An embodiment of lust packaged in a tiny three foot, six inch body._

"I'm not sure he's the best person to talk about girls with," Ryoku said slowly, choosing his words with care.

"Not popular with the ladies?"

Ryoku scratched his cheek lightly as he pondered the question. While it was true that his mentor had softened up to him significantly since their first meeting, Ryoku found that it would probably be safer to cover up his friend's many… misdeeds. Just in case. Shinpachi's bad side was somewhere Mineta was not prepared to be.

"You could say that."

"Ah, that's too bad."

'_Sorry, Mineta-kun.'_

As Ryoku contemplated his interesting little friend's chances of also making it to U.A., a splash of white from the corner of his vision caught his attention. He barely looked up in time to catch the towel that had been flung to him full force, and he glared in annoyance at a smug Shinpachi before wiping the sweat from his body.

"Anyway, go home and take a shower, kid."

The boy looked up to find his mentor heading back up the basement stairs.

"I'll come to pick you up when it's time to go," the bearded man concluded, as he opened the door to leave.

Ryoku nodded to the veteran hero before glancing at his phone once again.

'_8:05?... Or is that a six?'_

The teen sighed dismally to himself. The minute difference didn't matter. Nothing would change the fact that there were just under two hours left until his time of reckoning.

'_Even if they don't allow me to take the entrance exam, I can say that I was allowed to step foot in the place for an interview at least.'_

* * *

"Is Nakamura-san going to be here on time?"

Now at home, Ryoku turned around from his seated position to find his little sister, a book clutched at her chest as usual.

"You don't have to worry about me, Shizu," the boy said, heaving a small sigh as he turned his gaze back to the narrow doorway of their small apartment. "That old man's a lot of things, but unreliable isn't one of them."

Ryoku heard the pitter patter of small footsteps as Shizuka walked over and planted herself next to her older brother.

"I'm your little sister, Onii-chan," the girl huffed as she began to open her book. "It's my job to worry about you."

Ryoku looked at his sibling; her sapphire eyes already perusing pages filled with pictures and factoids about the life cycles of the stars in space.

"I don't think you have that correct," Ryoku laughed in response, bringing his hand out to pat Shizuka's pigtailed, black hair. "You do a far better job of looking after me than Nakamura-sensei though, that's for sure."

"Do you admire him, Onii-chan?"

"...It's too early in the morning for these types of questions."

Just then, a door within the apartment could be heard unlocking, and both children turned to find their mother approaching them.

To Ryoku, his mom looked youthful still, despite all the things that happened to her and her family. But there was a tiredness in her eyes and a look of perpetual worry on her face that he didn't like to see. Not that he could blame her. She worked as a seamstress under strenuous conditions and long hours to provide for her family after her husband had been killed. His mother was as big a reason as any as to why Ryoku felt he needed to make a good impression today. The faster he became a pro hero, the faster he could bring his mom to a day where she wouldn't have to lift a finger if she didn't want to. That was the least he could do for her.

"Are you going to your U.A. interview today, Ryoku?" queried Okazaki Haruna to her son. Even her voice sounded particularly tired to the teen.

"I am, mom" came Ryoku's simple reply.

Despite the love he felt naturally for his mom, Ryoku still felt awkward around her. He had spent many childhood years being stubborn and angry with his mother. Harsh scoldings almost always awaited the boy every time he was sent home from school after getting into trouble. Which meant that he'd been yelled at a lot as a kid. Both Haruna and Ryoku found it hard to understand one another, and the many years of frustration and sadness left a distance that had grown between mother and son.

Ryoku bit his lip in contemplation. What else was there to say to her?

"Mom. I – "

_*Ding dong*_

The blue-eyed boy immediately turned his head to the doorway at the sound of the bell echoing throughout the apartment. As he got up, so too did his sister, clutching the bottom hem of his shirt while she stood. Ryoku looked down to find Shizuka with her eyes downcast, looking more nervous than even he felt deep inside.

"I'll be fine, Shizu," the boy said reassuringly as he hugged his little sister closer to his side.

"Good luck, dear."

Ryoku's eyes turned back upward in surprise at the sound of his mother's gentle voice. Feelings of guilt washed over him immediately.

'_Why are you so shocked, idiot? That's your mom, of course she'd be rooting for you.' _

All his life, he'd done nothing but worry his mother to no end. Now, it was time to become a man she could be proud of.

"I'll do my best for you two," he responded, flashing as brave a thumbs up as he could muster. "Shizu, let go, you're gonna stretch out my shirt."

A small smile graced Haruna's features at her son's gesture. Ryoku snapshotted the image in his mind, cherishing the feeling of bringing a look of joy to his mother's face.

_*Ding Dong*_

At the sound of the doorbell's second ring, Ryoku strode forward to unlock the door to his tiny apartment.

'_Someday, I'll get Shizu and mom out of this shithole,' _the teen thought to himself.

'_Hope you're watching too, bastard. From hell or heaven or wherever you're at. I'll become someone great for the people you left behind.'_

* * *

"You've got a good family, kid," Shinpachi stated as he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel of his sedan, his eyes focused on the road before him.

Ryoku hummed a sound of acknowledgement at his mentor's words. He knew this only too well. Raindrops slid slowly down the side window that Ryoku had been staring out of.

'_I hate rainy days,'_ he thought to himself. The skies were gloomy and gray, and Ryoku found himself wondering if this was a bad omen for things to come.

The sapphire-eyed teen had wanted to say something in response to his mentor, but a series of vibrations in his pocket had him reaching for his phone instead. Ryoku squinted at the text left to him by a certain "Purple Pervert Senpai" as listed on his phone.

_Ryoku u better get past ur interview today or else I won't have anybody to talk to when I make it to U.A.! ._

The ponytailed teen chuckled as he read his friend's message. It was a quintessential Mineta statement in many ways, somehow managing to exude a selfish desire behind why he wanted someone else to do well in their endeavors. At the same time, a level of overconfidence was was evident in the words on Ryoku's screen as well. His friend was already speaking as if passing U.A.'s notoriously selective entrance exam was a given. Even as he shook his head however, Ryoku had to admit there was a grotesque mix of cunning and determination within Mineta's twisted soul which enabled him to accomplish things that one wouldn't expect from a boy with such a simple Quirk and tiny body.

_Omw there right now actually. Not gonna wish me luck or anything?_

_May the boobs be with u!.._

Ryoku found himself somewhere between disgust and admiration for his friend's singlemindedness for all things perverted.

"We're here," Shinpachi announced as he brought his vehicle to a stop. He strode forward as if taking a casual walk through a park, but soon noticed that his student hadn't followed.

Instead, Ryoku's narrow eyes were open wide, spellbound by the sights before them. Grandiose arches guided the way toward the singularly massive school which had served as the launching pad for some of the greatest heroes in history, including the shining beacon of peace and justice that was All Might. The only thing that loomed larger than the physical size of U.A. High was its deeply impressive legacy of greatness. The boy couldn't help but wonder if he truly had what it took to live up to the dream that U.A. represented for him.

"You're going to be fine." As if reading his student's thoughts, Shinpachi had turned back to place his hands firmly on Ryoku's shoulders. "Show whoever's sitting across from you today what I already see in you. A kid who can – no, a kid who's going to overcome his past and become one of the greatest heroes this world has ever seen."

Ryoku's already widened eyes threatened to practically bug out of their sockets. That was the nicest thing his mentor had ever said to him. Before he could formulate a proper response however, a deep voice rang out in the frigid, February air.

"Okazaki Ryoku, I presume?"

Both student and mentor turned to find the source of this new voice. Ryoku's sapphire eyes locked onto an unkempt looking man dressed almost entirely in black, save for a weird, scarf-like material around his neck. He appeared quite tall to Ryoku, who guessed the man to be around six-feet-tall. His facial hair was scraggly, and his eyes half-lidded and bloodshot.

'_Sheesh, this guy looks more tired than mom,' _the teen thought to himself. Not that he would ever say this out loud. Bombing his chances of making it into U.A. before the interview ever got underway didn't seem entirely smart.

"Eraserhead!? Don't tell me you're the one who -" Shinpachi had started to exclaim before the man quicky cut him off.

"Stop wasting time and come in so we can get this over with," the disheveled looking man stated, a cold indifference permeating his words.

Ryoku could feel his mouth go dry as he watched the man make his way into the school building. This was not the type of person he was expecting from the greatest hero school in Japan. In fact, this Eraserhead person seemed to be the very opposite of the pro hero image that proliferated modern media. Ryoku wondered to himself if U.A. hadn't secretly found a homeless man to prank him just now.

"Are you interviewing for a position here as well, Bandit Fist?" Eraserhead also addressed Ryoku's mentor by his hero name. "If not, then wait out here."

Shinpachi stopped in his steps and turned to his student. Ryoku looked up to find a look of abject rejection etched on his mentor's face.

'_Not really helping here, sensei…'_

* * *

"I'm Aizawa Shouto, a teacher here at U.A High School."

Ryoku bowed but found himself being cut off before he could say anything in response.

"Have a seat, Okazaki."

Ryoku did as he was told, planting himself on one of the black couches in the office. It was a spacious area, much like everything else he'd seen on his way to this room. The hallways had been vast, the doors were all massive, and the sheer expanse of the interior of the building had been overwhelming. This was the pinnacle of Hero education. And now, he just needed to prove to the man taking a seat across from him that he was worthy of receiving this education so he could fulfill his dreams.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't think you're worth the trouble to bring into consideration for the hero course here at U.A."

Ryoku stiffened immediately at the blunt assessment Aizawa had delivered to him. It took all the teen had within himself not to crack under the pro hero's withering gaze. Cold, black eyes stared deliberately into Ryoku's sapphire orbs, as if measuring the teen for what he was worth. Evidently, it wasn't much.

"Answer me honestly, why do you want to become a pro hero?" Aizawa continued.

Ryoku contemplated his answer.

"I have a mom and a little sister I'm trying to take care of," the blue-eyed boy began. "Becoming a pro hero is something I have to achieve in order to – "

"No, it isn't," Aizawa cut Ryoku off firmly. "There are a number of other well-paying professions that you could pursue if you want to help your family out."

Nothing resembling a good rebuttal came to mind for the teen as he listened to Aizawa's criticisms of his plans.

"This school doesn't have time to give charity handouts to everyone who comes from similar circumstances," the pro hero laid out plainly for the youth sitting before him. "It wouldn't be rational."

What could Ryoku say to any of that? His eyes were no longer trained on Aizawa, instead, they stared hard at the marble flooring below. He'd been a fool to think this was ever attainable for someone like him. There were students with pristine records and purer hearts who wanted this just as badly as he did. Why did he ever think that –

"U.A. is not a place for child thugs who only know how to fight and get into trouble."

Ryoku's head snapped upwards as Aizawa's words broke into his deprecating thoughts.

"If that's all, you can leave right through the door behind you," Aizawa concluded as he got up wearily from his seat, turning to gaze out at the large window behind him. The sounds of thunder could be heard softly rumbling in the vast, gray expanse outside.

Ryoku stood up as well, but a glare in his eyes made it clear that he wasn't ready to leave just yet. He clenched and unclenched his fists before speaking up.

"I can't disagree with any of what you just said," the boy began, choosing his words as carefully as he could. "In fact, you hit the nail pretty hard on the head about one thing."

Aizawa showed no signs of even listening as he continued to face away from Ryoku. The teen was undeterred however, and his voice gradually grew firmer as he continued.

"Fighting _is _all I really know," Ryoku admitted. "All I know how to do really well, at least. I've done it since I was a child, and I know I can do it better than pretty much anybody trying to get into this school."

He wasn't sure if he was just irritating Aizawa with his words at this point, but Ryoku knew that there was no turning back now.

"Last I checked, being able to fight is an important part of being a pro hero," the words spilled out fast and with purpose. "Let me take this entrance exam and I'll show you my potential. I'll tear right through anything and anyone, villains included."

Finally, the tired-eyed teacher turned back to look into Ryoku's sapphire orbs. They burned with a fire and passion that hadn't been there previously.

"Potential, huh?" Aizawa muttered as he considered the words that had been thrown to him. His graphite eyes locked firmly on the teen standing in front of him. "You should've started with that."

Before Ryoku could respond, a strange rustling began to take place from within the peculiar garment that Aizawa wore around his neck.

Ryoku's deep, blue eyes widened in amazement as something, or someone, began to crawl out from the space obscured by Aizawa's scarf.

'_I–I__–__ Is that a…'_

"Well that sure was tense, wasn't it?" the anthropomorphic creature exclaimed as he hopped down onto the floor from Aizawa's shoulder. "I'm Nezu, the Principal of U.A. Academy. Nice to meet you!"

'_He's so fluffy and cute! I wonder if he'll let me take a picture so I can show Shizu later… wait, did he say he was the principal!?'_

Ryoku felt his brain short circuit momentarily before hastily grabbing Principal Nezu's outstretched paw and shaking it as he bowed as low as he could.

"Nice to meet you as well, sir!"

"My, he's certainly much more polite with little old me than he was with you, Aizawa-kun," the principal said with a chuckle. For his part, the disheveled-looking pro hero merely looked away and grumbled dismissively.

"Those were powerful words you spoke back there, young man," Nezu said, turning his attention to the teen once again. "I, for one, would like to see what you're capable of, if given the chance to pursue your ambitions. What say you, Eraserhead?"

Ryoku tried his hardest not to allow the sudden hope which the principal had given him to show on his face, though he wasn't sure how good of a job he was doing as he looked expectantly to Aizawa.

"When pro heroes speak with conviction, their actions must match up as well, or else their words become meaningless," Eraserhead began, deliberately.

"Okazaki."

"Yes, sir."

The pro hero raised his hand and held up three fingers as Ryoku's eyes narrowed curiously.

"Place within the top three in the entrance exams, and you can call U.A. home for the next three years of your life," Aizawa explained. "Simple enough, right Mr. Fighter?"

A psychotic looking grin took form on the man's face as he stated his conditions. Ryoku looked down momentarily before lifting his head back up to meet Aizawa's gaze.

A similar smile etched itself across the teen's face as well.

"I'll do it," Ryoku said, simply. "Thank you for your time."

As the two stared each other down, a soft chuckle could be heard from the side.

"Looks like you two have come to an understanding," came the satisfied remark from Principal Nezu.

The teen could feel excitement beginning to take hold of his nerves as he contemplated the enormity of the challenge laid before him.

'_Nobody ever said this was going to be easy, I guess.'_

* * *

**And with that, look forward to some action in chapter three! Ryoku's taken care of some housekeeping, and now he's on his way to greatness! Maybe. :p Leave a review, whether positive or negative, as long as you keep it polite. Follow if you want to continue to watch (read) as Ryoku's path unfolds. Peace and love as always, guys.**


	3. Chapter 3: Examination Blues

Awe. Inspiration. Intimidation.

Ryoku could feel all the above beating fiercely within his chest as his sapphire eyes took in the scene before him. He hadn't been able to get much sleep the night before, but any fatigue found itself being outmatched by the excitement flowing through his body. The key to the rest of his life lied within the grandiose structure before him. U.A. High School. While this wasn't his first time here, it felt as though the hands of time were marching forward in earnest this time. He was no longer at the mercy of an unkempt pro hero sensei and a cute, dog-bear-mouse hybrid principal. True, the condition imposed on him by Aizawa to finish at least within the top 3 among all the examinees was still there, but…

Ryoku's right fist clenched with conviction. He had always planned to attack this with everything he had no matter what. Wherever he ranked was simply up to how far his training had come. The future was his to grasp within his own scarred, battered hands.

The teen looked up to observe his surroundings. The trees were leafless yet in the late February chill, but the air seemed abuzz with life. Fellow U.A. hopefuls dotted the scene before him. A collective, nervous energy permeated the air as everyone prepared to begin their march toward seizing their dreams. No matter what their motivations, everyone who was present ultimately had the same desire stamped within their hearts.

To become a Pro Hero.

'_Where the heck is Mineta-kun, though?'_

Ostensibly, Ryoku's berry-haired friend Mineta Minoru should've had that same goal in mind, but he was nowhere to be found. As Ryoku opened his worn-out, blue backpack to look for his phone so he could text the little pervert, a roll of protective hand wraps came tumbling out of the opening instead.

While fighting since early childhood probably gave Ryoku the edge in experience over most people his age, it had also been hard on his hands, leaving them with an increased susceptibility to fractures and breaks. As such, Ryoku's mentor had made sure to gift him rolls of blue hand wraps and a pair of simple, black martial arts gloves in preparation for today's exam.

"_Don't know what you're gonna be doing exactly, but I know you're gonna be punching sh - stuff," Shinpachi had told his protégé. "Your fists aren't your only weapon, though, keep that in mind. Kicks, elbows, knees..."_

_The old man regarded his student for a second before flicking his forehead rather harshly. _

_"Ow! What the f -" Ryoku had begun to protest before his mentor placed his hand on top of Ryoku's ponytailed hair. _

_"Use your brain, too " Shinpachi regarded the teen with a fond look in his eyes as he continued. "And your heart. I know you've got a good one in you, kid." _

As Ryoku began to bend down to pick up his mentor's gift, a rather large hand found its way to the roll instead. Ryoku watched as the mystery person stood to hand him the item.

"Did you drop this?"

As the newcomer faced upward to make eye contact, Ryoku suddenly found himself at a momentary loss for words.

Large, oval, expressive eyes stared up into Ryoku's narrow, sapphire orbs. Long hair cascaded down her back into a peculiar bowknot toward the bottom. The girl stared almost inquisitively from her hunched position as she continued to hold out the hand wraps that fell from Ryoku's bag.

For some reason, Ryoku found it hard to tear his gaze away.

'_She's kinda… wait, stop staring,' _the teen caught himself in his thoughts, reprimanding himself vehemently not to come off like a perv. A strange feeling in his gut found itself being pushed forcefully back as Ryoku tried to compose himself.

"Yeah, I did," Ryoku started as coolly as he could. "Thanks…" he trailed off as he retrieved the object from the girl in front of him.

Ryoku hadn't really strived to make friends with his peers since his childhood. And yet.

'_Things are different now. Yeah.' _It was a flimsy excuse, but he found that he couldn't help himself.

"I'm Okazaki Ryoku," the teen introduced himself. "It's nice to meet you."

The girl stared a second longer before her eyes closed, and her wide mouth stretched into an endearing smile.

"I'm Asui Tsuyu," the girl said cheerily in response. "I was just about to head into the school, what about you?"

To Ryoku, this sounded somewhat like an invitation. One he kind of wanted to take.

"I'm waiting for a friend right now, you can go ahead, though," the blue-eyed boy said with some reluctance.

Asui put her finger to her mouth, tilting her head as if in thought.

'_Everything this girl does is so…' _

"Alright," the bright smile returned to her face. "Good luck with the entrance exam _*kero*_!"

Despite Ryoku's insecurities regarding his smile, he couldn't help but let his face relax into one as he waved goodbye to the girl hopping away into U.A.'s school building. Something in him secretly hoped that this wouldn't be the last time he'd see her.

'_Wait a second,' _the boy thought as he watched Asui's retreating form. _'*Kero*? The jumping? Must be some kind of frog Quirk. If I got to talk to her more, I'd be able to practice my frog noises for when I read that book to Shizu...' _

"Hey, wait!" came a sudden scream from behind the teen.

Ryoku knew instinctively whose whiny voice this belonged to.

"Took you long enough," the teen stated simply as he turned to find his purple-haired friend coming to a stop beside him.

"I saw it all, Ryoku," Mineta said, an accusatory edge to his words.

Ryoku arched an eyebrow, body language for 'What the hell are you talking about?'

"The entrance exams haven't even started yet and you're already trying to get in with the chicks!" Mineta continued, sounding somehow indignant and inspired at the same time. "I misjudged you, you playboy bastard."

Ryoku could merely sigh as he turned toward the school building. A yell of "Wait up!" came from his small friend as they fell in stride with one another towards their prospective futures, both harboring their own personal reasons for wanting to become part of the hero hopefuls of tomorrow.

* * *

The sapphire-eyed teen could feel his sanity slipping away, eyebrows twitching as he listened to the pro hero presenting on stage. Ryoku kind of admired the energy this blonde, mustached man brought to the proceedings, but this energy didn't seem to be infectious in any way. Everything he was saying was being met with a deafening silence. That was at least somewhat amusing.

"Isn't that Present Mic?" the sapphire-eyed teen asked his friend sitting next to him.

Mineta didn't seem interested in the slightest.

"Huh? Uh, yeah, I think so," he answered indifferently, picking his nose as he did so.

Ryoku shook his head. This would've been a different story had it been an attractive female hero in the spotlight instead.

"As it says in the application requirements, you listeners will be conducting ten-minute mock urban battles after this!"

'_Finally, something important,' _the teen thought to himself sarcastically as he re-focused his eyes onto the eccentric hero on stage.

"After the presentation, you'll head to the specified battle center, okay?"

Ryoku looked down at the examination ticket in his hands. He was to head to Battle Center C. A sharp tug on his sleeve brought his attention to the boy beside him.

"Shoot, I thought we'd be able to help each other out!" Mineta whisper-shouted in despair. Ryoku brought his sapphire eyes to the card resting in his friend's tightening grip. Battle Center D.

"You telling me you don't have what it takes to pass?" Ryoku asked as he placed his hands firmly on a pair of small shoulders. "What about your 'master plan' to become pro hero? No money and no fame equals no girls, right?"

That seemed to do the trick as a look of extreme lust slowly took form on Mineta's face. The hands on his shoulders quickly withdrew when drool started to pool around the corners of the berry-haired boy's mouth. A new determination burned fiercely within his eyes. He was disturbingly single-minded in his desires, but Ryoku found that he didn't really have room to judge. Girls were to Mineta what fighting was to the Demon Quirked teen.

"I'll pass for the boobs!"

Ryoku sweatdropped at his friend's overwhelming aura of perversion.

"Three different types of faux villains are stationed in each battle center. You earn points for each of them based on their level of difficulty."

The teen listened intently as Present Mic disclosed the particulars of the practical examination. The goal was to accumulate points by immobilizing these faux villains throughout the duration of the test.

'_Great, I get to let loose on a bunch of robots, and nobody has to get hurt,' _Ryoku thought to himself joyfully. Anticipation coursed through his body at the thought of getting to put his skills to the test as violently as he wanted.

"May I ask a question!" a voice rang out suddenly from the crowd. The spotlight focused on a tall, bespectacled male who voiced his concerns as to the accuracy of the faux villains as printed on their handout. Ryoku found himself begrudgingly impressed by this student's attention to detail. If his broad body performed as well as his mind seemed to, this guy would be a formidable entrant. The overly formal shouting and the chastisement he delivered to the nervous looking boy behind him wasn't really Ryoku's style, though. Perhaps there was more to the straight-laced examinee than his overly correct presentation.

'_Just an obstacle to make things harder for us, huh?' _Ryoku thought to himself as Present Mic explained the disparity between the faux villains presented on stage and what was written on the handout. _'U.A. really does pull out all the stops.' _

"Finally, I'll give you listeners a present: our school motto!"

Both Ryoku and Mineta shifted forward in their seats at this, listening intently for the words poignant enough to be the motto of the number 1 hero school in all of Japan.

"The hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said, 'A true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortunes.'"

These words lodged themselves firmly in Ryoku's mind. There were plenty of demons in his past that he was trying to conquer. Today would hopefully be the first step towards that.

"Go Beyond. Plus Ultra!"

'_Damn, I like the sound of that.'_

* * *

_*Whap*_

Ryoku determinedly punched his gloved fists into one another. He noted with satisfaction that his hands felt snug in the wraps and gloves his mentor had provided. Dressed in a short-sleeved black undershirt and a pair of black joggers with blue cuffs, the teen kicked his worn-down sneakers softly against the ground as he attempted to loosen his body up. Everyone around him was preparing themselves in their own way, but Ryoku tried his hardest not to focus on that. As far as he was concerned, this entire field of examinees was like the 0-point villain on the handouts. Obstacles on the path to his future.

Ryoku licked his lips devilishly at the thought of annihilating anything in his way.

"Okay, start!"

Everyone gathered turned their heads upward at the sudden exclamation from Present Mic's grating voice.

"What's wrong! There are no countdowns in real – "

'_Shit, he's right.'_

"Outta the way!" Ryoku said hastily as he shoved past the agitated, surprised voices in the crowd.

Running quickly ahead, a familiar stirring could be felt within the teen's body. Demon Boost was beginning to feed upon the embers of ensuing combat within Ryoku's heart.

Shouts and screams erupted from the crowd he'd left behind as his fellow examinees began to realize what was going on. Ryoku found himself perversely thankful for the illegitimate countdown. His Quirk was one that needed time to get going; any head start was something he needed to take full advantage of.

Catching something out of the corner of his eye as he ran, the teen stopped suddenly as an object rolled out from the mock-urban alleyway to his side.

Ryoku found himself face to face against a robot with the number 1 painted broadly on its arm. He knew instinctively that there was no time to hesitate.

Charging forward, the Demon Quirked boy deftly avoided an attempted attack from the robot by ducking underneath as his adversary swung its heavy, metal arm. Planting himself, Ryoku let loose a barrage of denting body shots before bringing his fist upward in a picturesque uppercut. The robot's head flew off upon impact. The teen took a glance at his fist as he quickly flexed and unflexed his hand. The glove remained intact, and he noted with satisfaction that his hand felt as good as new.

'_One.' _

Examinees around him seemed to have ideas about purposely seeking out the higher-valued faux villains as early as possible, but Ryoku contented himself with plowing through the weaker one-pointers as he gave Demon Quirk time to build up. This was the strategy he'd devised before the exam had begun. Slow and steady wins the race. Hopefully.

Gradually, Ryoku could feel time seem to slow down around him as his senses began to sharpen and dark blue energy began to swell around his hands and feet. The faux villains were going down easier and easier as he ran from one target to another, leaving a trail of destruction via fists, kicks, and flying knees in his wake. Whatever it took to get the job done. An explosive crash suddenly sounded before Ryoku as he continued on his path, and his eyes that were beginning to glow a soft blue spotted two 3-point faux villains locking onto him.

The robots were unable to react quickly enough as Ryoku charged headlong toward them and plunged his energy infused hands directly through their cores. This was enough to send the two robots out of commission, and the teen noted with satisfaction that this whole ordeal was beginning to become quite easy. Fighting was what he knew best, and he'd be damned if the words he'd spoken to Aizawa during his interview proved themselves to be hollow. He was a person of his word and bound by his commitment, something his father had failed to be when he'd refused to stop being a criminal for the sake of his family. Ryoku would do whatever it took to put his mom and his sister in a better situation. It was going to take more than a few robots to slow him down.

'_51, 52 – another 3 pointer,'_ the teen continued to leave robot parts flying his wake as he made a frenzied dash toward another Hard Villain. The energy gathered around his extremities was reaching copious levels, and Ryoku fired an Energy Ball off at close range with an overhand swing of his right arm. The projectile tore violently through the robot, taking it out of commission with ease.

'_55,_' Ryoku thought to himself quickly as he dashed off again to seek out more targets. He had no way of knowing how he was doing relative to the massive field of examinees, so he knew there was no time to rest and admire his handiwork.

As his legs continued to propel him forward, the teen's glowing, sapphire eyes caught sight of a pink-skinned girl running a route opposite his, and her yellow irises took note of him as well.

"Cool skin, blue dude!" she shouted merrily as she flashed a thumbs up.

Ryoku found it odd that someone was actually complimenting the dark blue color spreading throughout his body, but he felt a certain kinship nonetheless with this mystery pink girl. Of course, the pigmentation of her skin made her look a lot more friendly than he did, but this was no time to nitpick.

Before he could think of the proper words to return her compliment however, a logic-defying rumble took hold of the gigantic mock-urban landscape. Examinees stopped in their tracks as they quaked and steadied themselves, all the while looking for the source of this violent tremor.

Glowing, blue eyes widened as the skies seemed to cloud over all at once. A menacing mechanical structure towered well above even the buildings in the examination area. Although it wasn't a living creation, Ryoku swore he could feel a certain animosity from the robot's ominous, red glow.

A vast expanse of the road, as well multiple buildings were destroyed all at once from a single swing of the robot's mighty arm.

"Don't tell me that's the Zero-pointer!" the pink skinned girl exclaimed as she came to a stop next to Ryoku.

"That's a little overkill if it is," the Demon boy responded as he stared up at the gigantic, gimmick villain.

Despite his words however, a certain urge began to take hold of Ryoku's soul. He wanted badly to test his powers against something that fearsome.

"We should probably get outta here," the girl's words broke Ryoku out from his thoughts.

The boy nodded quickly as he began to turn and run away, but his heightened Demon Boost senses suddenly caught wind of what seemed to be screaming in the direction of the 0-pointer. Aizawa's condition came racing to the forefront of Ryoku's thoughts. He needed enough points to place in the top 3 for this exam to make it into U.A. He knew this. But what would it mean if he actively ignored someone potentially in need of his help?

'_What the hell kind of hero would that be?' _Ryoku questioned himself bitterly with a sigh as he turned back.

"Hey, wait, dude!" the girl called out to him.

"There's someone in trouble over there," Ryoku attempted to explain as he ran quickly ahead. "I can hear it."

"Gah, seriously!?" came a frustrated shout in response.

The boy turned his head in surprise as he saw his new acquaintance suddenly running behind him.

"What are you –" Ryoku began to question the girl before being cut off.

"The name's Ashido Mina," she introduced herself suddenly. "And if what you're saying is true, then we have to go help!"

Ryoku could feel his eyes widen before turning back to his destination with renewed determination.

Yellow eyes in black sclera and shining, blue orbs focused through the smoke and dust that had gathered around the Zero's pointer's mass.

"Why is this happening to me!?" came a shout which both Ashido and Ryoku quickly turned their heads toward.

Stuck beneath the rubble was a chubby looking wide-eyed boy with ice blue hair, who seemed like he had no way of dislodging himself as the Zero-point robot quickly approached.

"Hey, are you okay!" Ashido shouted worriedly as she immediately began to run toward the entrapped examinee.

"Ashido-san," Ryoku turned to look at the girl who'd accompanied him here. "Can you use your Quirk to get him out of here?"

The pink girl nodded in affirmation, but quickly began to protest what Ryoku seemed to be suggesting.

"You can't seriously be thinking about fighting that thing by yourself, that's crazy!"

Ryoku briefly weighed the option of fleeing after ensuring the other boy's safety, but he knew his Quirk granted him nothing in terms of running speed. Escaping this massive obstacle whose blows could level entire blocks of streets seemed improbable.

The Demon Quirked teen walked ahead wordlessly to approach the Zero-pointer and finally let loose a grin he'd been holding back throughout the exam. Maybe it was crazy, he conceded. But nothing made him feel more sane than fighting.

Ryoku charged ahead as the Zero-point robot promptly locked on to his approaching form. The teen took note of the robot's right arm as it lifted dangerously high into the air. If he didn't measure this properly, he'd be splattered roadkill on the side of the street. The giant arm came swinging down as Ryoku's body propelled upward, aided by energy balls that he'd fired off from the bottom of his feet as he jumped. Flipping deftly in the air, the sapphire-eyed fighter could almost feel the wind from the obstacle's enormous fingertips as they barely missed him. The impact of metal slamming into pavement resounded loudly in Ryoku's ears.

'_Way too close for comfort,'_ Ryoku thought to himself. But he had made it; he now stood directly on top of the robot's wrist area. Another shout roared forth from Ryoku's throat as he raised his right leg high before sending it crashing violently down in an axe kick. Electricity crackled as bits and pieces of the robot's appendage flew off from the damage. The teen took advantage by quickly running up the impaired arm. Making sure to pound every energy infused step harshly into the arm he was currently scaling, Ryoku found himself rapidly approaching the Zero-pointer's menacing head. Glowing red dots that resembled the robot's face seemed to almost glare at the Demon boy as he approached, but the thrill of combat overrode any sense of trepidation in Ryoku's body. The smile only stretched further on his face as the heat of combat swept over him. Finally finding himself in a satisfactory range for what would hopefully be his final attack, Ryoku launched himself violently upward, thrusting his right leg out as he careened dangerously through the air into a flying side kick.

"Plus fuckin' Ultra!" came the Demon Boy's defiant shout.

"What the heck is he!?" exclaimed the newly rescued, wide-eyed examinee incredulously as he was being helped up and steadied by Ashido.

*_Crash!*_

For her part, the thus far bubbly and excitable girl watched in amazed silence as the Demon Quirked teen landed his flying kick fiercely into the Zero-pointer's face, smashing through to the other side of the hole he'd created within the mechanical structure. Ryoku's energy infused form flew from amidst the explosions and smoke from the destruction he'd caused. Yellow eyes widened in awe before promptly taking on a panicked look as the girl seemed to realize something.

"Oh, crap!" Ashido screamed.

'_Ah, shit,' _Ryoku thought simultaneously after he successfully took the Zero-pointer out of commission. He'd won the fight technically, but he realized now as he sailed miles up in the air that he hadn't exactly planned out his landing. It was beginning to look like he'd become roadkill after all. He briefly wondered to himself why he was like this. The teen could only brace himself for impact as he shut his eyes, but a sudden constricting sensation around the expanse of his body forced them wide open. Something long and winding had wrapped itself around the Demon Quirked boy, and he began to be pulled at a measured pace toward the source of this mystery object.

Ryoku suddenly found himself face to face with the girl he'd met outside on U.A.'s campus as she freed him by unfurling her tongue and trailing it back into her mouth.

'_Her… tongue?' _

The sapphire-eyed teen forced down a blush as he considered what had just transpired.

'_Calm down, Ryoku, it's just her Quirk,' _he tried to reason with the more perverse parts of his mind. He was beginning to feel like Mineta.

"Thanks for the save, Asui-san," the boy muttered gratefully but somewhat begrudgingly. "Not that I needed it."

A skeptical look from the Frog girl was met with an apologetic chuckle from the boy she'd just rescued.

"Call me Tsuyu-chan," she said, to which Ryoku could only nod slowly. Again, he found his will weakening before the girl's wide, oval eyes. "It was pretty impressive what you did to the Zero-pointer but – "

The sound of blaring sirens tore Ryoku's gaze away as both he and Tsuyu looked upward to the sky.

"Time's up!" came Present Mic's screeching voice, and Ryoku let out a soft 'tch' in frustration as he looked toward the ground. Had he done enough to pass? Not only pass, but land himself firmly in the top 3? He had no way of knowing, but his natural pessimism gnawed away at his nerves.

"Okazaki-chan?" Tsuyu called out questioningly as Ryoku looked upward to meet her gaze.

Before he could think of something to say, an overwhelming tiredness seized his body, and he swayed about in disorientation.

"Okazaki-chan!" a concerned tone was put on Ryoku's name this time as Tsuyu bounded over to help him steady himself. The sapphire-eyed teen looked at his arm to see the blue coloration eroding away as his skin gradually took on its normal tone again.

"Aha… just a bit of an adrenaline dump," the sapphire-eyed teen explained as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. The Frog girl had let him sling his right arm over her shoulders, and he leaned his tired frame into her for support.

"There was someone stuck in the rubble by the Zero-pointer," Ryoku began to explain as Tsuyu turned to look at him. "I ran there with another girl to rescue him. Uhh, didn't exactly have an exit strategy."

Ryoku chuckled self deprecatingly as he thought of his lack of foresight. He remembered that he hadn't been able to introduce himself in return to Ashido or to the chubby boy trapped within the debris.

"That's really reckless, Okazaki-chan," Tsuyu stated simply after some thought.

'_Ouch, she doesn't mince words, does she?' _

"But also pretty heroic. _*kero*_" the oval-eyed girl added with a smile.

Ryoku found himself too exhausted in both body and mind to hide the blush that now formed on his face. Tsuyu suddenly jolted and looked away after a while as Ryoku continued to stare without saying anything.

"That's a little close," she stated as an embarrassed flush set in on her cheeks.

'_I haven't been this tired in a while,'_ the teen thought to himself wearily, as he felt his consciousness threatening to slip away in fatigue.

He looked at the girl who'd saved his body from becoming the most epic pavement swan dive of all time and brought himself to admit what he hadn't wanted to since he'd met her at U.A.'s gates.

'_She's kind of cute,' _was the teen's last thought before his body succumbed to sleep.

* * *

**Thanks as always for reading! Review if you enjoyed, or even if you didn't. Constructive criticism welcome. Follow if you want to see more. Peace and love, everybody.**


	4. Chapter 4: Moment of Truth

**Just wanted to start off by thanking you guys for all the follows and favorites. It means a lot to me. As do your reviews, so I'll use this space to respond to them as concisely as I can.**

**Polw3: Special shoutout for being the first review on this fic. I hope you have fun as you continue to follow the story.**

**Mega MadHatter: Thanks for the compliment :) Here is that next chapter.**

**Deffinitely Not Red: Midoriya will 100% exist. I adore Deku, so I can't imagine writing a MHA fic without him. In fact, there may be reference to him in this chapter...**

**Basquiat: Hope you continue to enjoy it! **

* * *

"_What are you crying about, Ryoku?"_

_A young, six-year-old Okazaki Ryoku tried as hard as he could to stop his quivering lips and hiccupping sniffles. In his hands was a stuffed toy in the form of a smiling corn on the cob. Little Ryoku's sapphire eyes threatened to start watering again as he looked down at his plaything. The corn on the cob was ripped nearly in half, its cotton stuffing exposed. Ryoku's little fingers moved to put the stuffing back in, desperately trying to make his beloved toy whole again. _

"_Stop fooling around with the damn toy and look up at me when I'm talking to you." _

_Ryoku lifted his head up to finally meet his father's gaze. His form was blurry through Ryoku's burgeoning tears, but the boy knew that he was being glared at in disappointment right now. _

"_Masao, stop!" yelled an exasperated Okazaki Haruna to her husband. "Some of the older boys at school were – " _

"_Fujino-kun and Handa-kun wanted to take Kon-san from me," the boy spoke up through his sniffling, knowing that his father hated it when his mom would talk for him. "When I wouldn't let them have Kon-san, they grabbed him and –" Ryoku found himself unable to finish as he tried desperately to fight back another wave of tears. Try as he might, droplets began to fall down onto the stuffed toy in his hands anyway. Affectionately named "Kon-san", the corn on the cob's condition only served to upset Ryoku even further. _

"_How are you going to become a man if something like this is enough to make you cry like a little girl?" _

_Ryoku's eyes snapped open when his father snatched Kon-san out of his hands. _

"_Tou-san, please!" came the desperate plea from the blue-eyed boy. _

"_Masao, he's just a boy!" Ryoku's mother added imploringly. _

"_How long is he going to stay a boy while I slave away to provide for this family!" _

_Alcohol stained the man's breath, not that Ryoku was worldly enough at age six to recognize what this smell was. He only knew it as the stench that would permeate his father's words whenever he seemed extra angry and volatile. _

"_I keep telling you that Nii-san is willing to let you –" Haruna began, but even Ryoku knew that any mention of his uncle would be enough to set his father off. Especially when his breath smelled weird like it did right now. _

"_He's willing to let me what?" Masao was shouting at this point. Little Ryoku could only stand there and cry as his mother and father began to fight again. "Let me work under him so he can keep judging me because he thinks I'm not taking care of you?" _

"_He's never said that!" Haruna's voice began to rise as well, but Ryoku had seen enough of these fights to know where this was going. _

"_What the fuck did I ever get married for?" Ryoku's father spat out bitterly as he threw his son's stuffed toy harshly across their tiny living room. _

_The boy flinched at his father's vulgarity before running over to his beloved Kon-san, who was now split completely open. Haruna walked sadly over to hold her crestfallen son as the door to their apartment creaked open. One last string of muttered obscenities left her husband's mouth before – _

_*SLAM*!_

* * *

Narrow, sapphire eyes widened violently as Ryoku's body jerked upward into a sitting position, as if fleeing from the pillow where he'd had his nightmare. His shoulders rose up and fell down with the pattern of his ragged breathing. Slowly regaining his bearings, the Demon Quirked teen took a close look at his surroundings. Or at least, he had tried to before realizing that curtains on either side of him were blocking his view of the rest of the room. Everything he could make out in the limited scope around him was pale and sterile, including the bed he currently occupied. Ryoku surmised this to be a medical office of some kind.

"I keep telling you kids, just let me check to see if he's awake yet!" came what appeared to be the sound of a woman's reprimanding tone.

Ryoku turned toward the source of the new voice to his right, although the curtains continued to block his view. The sounds of small footsteps and a cane clacking on the floor drew nearer before the curtain he had been staring at finally slid open.

"Ah, you're awake."

Ryoku looked from his bed to see an elderly lady in a lab coat, her hair styled up in a bun being held by what appeared to be a needle accessory. Her cane also took on the form of a giant syringe. Her slitted eyes regarded him from behind a purple tinted visor.

'_She's gotta be around Mineta-kun's height. Doesn't her lab coat get dirty from dragging on the floor like that, though?'_ The teen chose to keep these thoughts to himself.

"I am. Thank you for taking care of me," was what Ryoku went with instead. "You must be Recovery Girl?" He knew of the Youthful Heroine because his little sister had pointed out a picture of her in a medical book once. 'The backbone of Japan's foremost Hero school' was how the blurb underneath the illustration described her.

The woman nodded once in affirmation before handing Ryoku a few gummies, which he accepted gratefully.

"My Quirk functions by taking a body's energy to help speed up the healing process for any injuries it may have incurred," she began as she looked over her patient. "Your injuries were minor, and the girl who brought you here informed me that you were simply fatigued."

"So your Quirk wouldn't have helped in my case," Ryoku concluded for the heroine as she finished her examination, seeming satisfied over his physical state.

"Perceptive, aren't we?" Recovery girl asked with a slight playfulness in her tone. "Anyway, it appears you have some visitors outside. Are you well enough to see them?"

"…Depends on who they are," Ryoku said tepidly, earning a chuckle from the Youthful Heroine.

"They do seem to be a rambunctious bunch," Recovery Girl admitted.

"Let them in, I guess," Ryoku consented with a small sigh as he wondered who could possibly be making such a fuss to see him.

Recovery Girl hummed in acknowledgement as she left the teen's side to open the door to her office. As soon as she did, Ryoku found himself immediately rushed by three people whom he actually recognized.

"Hey, glad to see you're safe!" Ashido Mina's voice rang out, a big grin plastered on her cheery face.

"Uh, I'm Nirengeki Shoda, the guy that you saved with Ashido-san during the exam," the wide-eyed boy next to Mina said, his voice sounding somewhat nervous. "I never got to thank you properly for it."

"Nah, it was nothin'," Ryoku chuckled dismissively as he waved his hand, feeling a little bashful from the gratitude being thrown his way.

"It wasn't nothing."

Ryoku looked on in surprise as the boy's eyes began to hold a more determined gaze.

"You were like something out of a comic, the way you climbed up that Zero-pointer and destroyed it," Nirengeki continued. "And Ashido-san's Acid Quirk melted through the rubble on top of me with such ease."

Ryoku and Mina stared wordlessly as the chubby teen sang their praises.

"So, really, thank you both!" Nirengeki finished emphatically, bowing low to show his gratitude.

Ryoku found himself admiring the boy's earnestness.

"Aw, stop it!" Ashido cooed as she patted the wide-eyed boy on his shoulder, causing him to blush and look away. "Normal stuff for a Hero right, Okazaki?" she turned to Ryoku, pointing a thumbs up his way.

Before the sapphire-eyed teen could respond accordingly, a miniscule figure shot up to his side and shook him violently about at the shoulders.

"First that girl at the gates, and now this pink hottie, when did you become this chick magnet, Ryoku!?" came Minoru Mineta's whiny shout.

"Pink hot – hey!" Ashido exclaimed as she shook her fist indignantly at Mineta's tasteless descriptors. "You said you were his friend!"

"Oh, I am. And I can be yours too if you want, babe," Mineta retorted as he shot a wink at the pink-skinned girl.

Deciding that he'd heard enough, Ryoku reached a hand out to grab his friend by his face, apologizing for the berry-haired boy's overwhelming sleaziness as Ashido hurled such invectives as "Perv!" and "Creep!" at her new… acquaintance. Nirengeki chuckled uncomfortably at the rowdy scene taking place before him.

"That's quite enough, you kids!" came a huffing reprimand from Recovery Girl as she stuck out her cane to point at the visitors. "You three, out. I need to check over a few more things with the patient. You can all hang around with your friends here after he's cleared."

'_Friends?'_ Ryoku thought to himself as he listened to Recovery Girl's words. The teen looked over as a pouting Ashido waved him goodbye while Nirengeki bowed and said his thanks again before they left together. A warm feeling came over him as he waved back to his two departing peers.

Naturally, it was now that his pessimism chose to kick in, and he couldn't help but wonder if Ashido and Nirengeki would eventually leave like everyone else had when they found out what made him tick inside. No one was guaranteed to stick around forever, no matter how deep the bond. Ryoku became well acquainted with this feeling the night that police had shown up to his door to tell his family about his father's fate.

"Mrghf!"

Well, the little purple pervert trapped in his grip had stuck around at least.

"Sorry 'bout that," Ryoku said evenly as he tried not to laugh at his friend.

"Text me later when you're outta here," Mineta said, still pouting over the rough treatment his face had received. "I gotta tell you about this sexy invisible chick I saw during the exam!"

'_Did you really see her if she was invisible?' _Ryoku sweatdropped as he looked at Mineta's form exiting through the door.

"Aren't you all a confident bunch?" Recovery Girl sighed when her office was finally calm again. "Not a single comment or complaint from any of you about how you scored during the examination."

Ryoku found himself thinking that the elderly lady had a point about the others. They had all seemed relatively upbeat considering the fact they'd just finished an entrance exam for the number 1 Hero school in all of Japan. Was this the type of optimism that hero hopefuls naturally possessed?

For his part, Ryoku didn't want to mention to his new acquaintances that he needed to perform differently from them. How would they respond to the fact he'd landed in his current circumstance because of violent and impulsive behavior in his past that had resulted in serious bodily harm?

To score in the top 3 amongst a field of thousands of examinees all vying for the same dream was no easy feat to accomplish. The teen looked at his hands as he balled them into fists. Had his skills and techniques done enough to vault him into that standing?

Sapphire eyes trailed toward Recovery Girl once again as she dug out a piece of paper from a pocket in her lab coat.

"The girl who brought you here, Asui Tsuyu," she said as she handed Ryoku a small, folded slip of paper. "She wanted you to have this."

'_Tsuyu-chan?'_

The teen reached out quickly for the note before unfolding it to read what was written inside.

_Sorry I can't be there when you wake up, Okazaki-chan. I need to get back to take care of my little brother and sister. Text me when you're feeling better. I hope we both make it into U.A. _{^_^}

Below the body of the letter was a phone number which Ryoku felt immediately compelled to text. He scolded himself silently over the disappointment he'd felt when Tsuyu hadn't been among his visitors today.

"How do you feel about the choice you made today?"

The teen blinked for a second before realizing that the elderly woman must've been referring to the decision he'd made during the practical exam to rescue Nirengeki Shoda rather than continue to hunt for his own points.

"Just felt like the right thing to do," Ryoku shrugged honestly. "Didn't give it too much thought... thinking isn't really my strong suit," the teen admitted, chuckling weakly at his own expense.

'_Also felt like my chance to take on a big fuckin' robot.'_

He felt Recovery Girl's gaze on him, her eyebrows knitted as if in thought over what to say to him next.

"There was a boy in another examination center who acted as you did today," the elderly woman said slowly. "I believe his thought process wasn't overly complicated either."

Ryoku raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued by this new information.

"What makes you say that?"

"He broke both his legs and an arm to save a girl in jeopardy," Recovery Girl answered with a grave look on her features.

Ryoku's widened eyes betrayed the shock he felt almost tangibly through his body.

"The Zero-pointer did that much damage to him?" he asked incredulously. Wasn't the exam taking it too far if someone could get that badly hurt during it?

"Not any of the obstacles," Recovery Girl explained. "His own Quirk was what nearly tore his body in half."

Ryoku could only gape in disbelief. Someone with a self-destructive Quirk of that magnitude wanted to become a Hero? He didn't know whether to think of this mystery person as endlessly determined or grotesquely masochistic.

The Youthful Heroine sighed as she continued.

"I swear, you kids today just don't know how to hold back," she stated, huffing in disapproval as she did so. A meaningful gaze from the elderly woman held Ryoku in place as she pointed her cane toward him. "Remember the choice you made today. And remember what I told you about the other boy as well. These are the decisions and sacrifices Pro Heroes out on the field make every day in order to protect our fragile peace."

Recovery Girl's countenance softened as she regarded the teen in front of her.

"Without knowing too much about how you performed," she started as Ryoku listened intently. "Allow me to say that I think you did good today."

A warm smile graced the heroine's features as she gave her evaluation of Ryoku's actions. The sapphire-eyed teen could only hope that he'd been good enough to be accepted into the #1 Hero school in all of Japan.

* * *

A week had passed since U.A.'s entrance exam, and the early March days were beginning to grow warmer. Ryoku found it surprisingly easy to settle back into the monotonous routine of his days, though the forthcoming results of the exam still lurked within the shadows in the back of his mind. A sinking feeling would overtake him whenever these thoughts crept into the forefront of his consciousness, and the teen would hurriedly bury his efforts into something else in order to distract himself.

Tonight's diversion of choice had been a nighttime run which was now approaching its end. In through his nose and out through his mouth, the sapphire-eyed teen breathed steadily while he sped through the brisk, late winter air. A vibration against his right leg brought Ryoku's progress to a stop as he reached into his pocket to take out his phone. Staring past the fissuring cracks on the screen, Ryoku could make out a picture of a pretty looking fruit jelly snack accompanied by a text.

_When u asked about my favorite food earlier (n_n) _

Ryoku's mouth turned slightly upwards upon receiving Asui Tsuyu's message. The two had been chatting amiably via text ever since the Frog Quirked girl had given Ryoku her number so he could confirm his well-being after the events of the exam. Calloused fingers tapped against a screen as Ryoku neared home.

_That looks rly good. Did u make it?_

The teen fumbled around for the keys to the dingy apartment complex where he lived before his phone buzzed once again in response.

_Yup! _

Enclosed was a selfie of the Frog girl smiling contentedly with a spoon handle protruding from her lips. Ryoku fought back the urge to make the picture his new home screen as he opened his apartment door.

"I'm back," the teen said customarily as he stopped at the doorway to remove his shoes.

"Why are you smiling at your phone?"

Ryoku gulped as his little sister came forward to greet him. She was a perceptive child.

"Uh, I saw something funny – "

"Your face is red as well."

Too perceptive. Ryoku racked his brain for believable excuses before he noticed Shizuka fidgeting about with something she was holding close to her chest.

"Shizu, what is that?"

Small hands nervously brought the mystery object outward.

"U.A. sent this, Onii-chan," Shizuka said. Her normally neutral countenance was still there, but her slightly quivering body betrayed her anxiety.

The teen considered his sister's words briefly before his narrow, sapphire eyes widened in realization.

'_Oh shit, it's here.' _

Ryoku reached a hand out to take the item from his sister's grasp.

"Kinda fancy, huh?" the teen asked as he observed U.A.'s instantly recognizable logo stamped into a wax seal holding an envelope together. His younger sibling nodded quickly in response. Ryoku briefly considered waking their mother up before deciding against it. Haruna worked hard every day to make sure that there was food on the table for her two children. Her son figured that she deserved any rest she could get.

"Are those -" Shizuka began hesitantly. "Are those the test results for your entrance exam?"

"Only one way to find out," Ryoku sighed as he prepared to head into his room. He turned back curiously as he noticed his sister standing in place with her head down, as though she was trying to avoid eye contact with him. Ryoku squatted down to get to eye level with the small girl.

"Wanna come with me, Shizu?" he asked.

"Are you sure, Onii-chan?" Shizuka asked, her eyes wide and inquisitive. "I thought that you'd prefer to be alone while you -!"

The girl was cut off as she found herself being lifted up by her older brother. Her protests of "Let me go" and "I can walk" went largely ignored.

A short while later, both siblings were in Ryoku's small room. Shizuka stood restlessly next to her older brother as he sat down at his desk.

"Count to three for me, Shizu."

"One."

"Two."

"Three!"

Ryoku immediately tore the envelope open, intending to unfold the paper enclosed within as quickly as possible so he could get the pain over with. Instead, a circular item clattered out onto his desk instead.

"What is this?" the teen asked incredulously as he got up close to the disc-like object.

"I believe it's a projector, Onii-chan. You may want to get your face away from – "

Light shot out from the projector, prompting Ryoku to fall violently back in his chair, his natural instincts compelling him to put both his fists up in a fighting stance. Shizuka's small shoulders shook slightly as she tried to stifle her amusement.

"Young Okazaki!" a booming voice sounded as a smiling, hulking blonde man in a yellow pinstripe suit flexed into the camera.

'_What the fuck? That's – ' _

"All Might?" Shizuka whispered breathlessly.

"I am here! Why? To inform you of how you did in the U.A. entrance exam, of course!"

"What's with that corny setup?" Ryoku sweatdropped.

"Onii-chan, shh."

The teen looked to find his little sister wholly captivated by the projection of Japan's #1 Hero currently intruding in his room.

"And also!" the recording of All Might began dramatically as he stuck an index finger into the air. "Because I am here to start working as a full-time teacher at U.A.!"

"Holy – " the teen hastily clasped a hand over his mouth, silently thankful that his sister was too busy watching the projection to notice what was going on next to her.

'_Shit!' _he finished in his mind.

"Now then, down to business!" All Might continued with a small cough into his hand. "You passed the written portion of the exam, and in the practical, you performed rather – "

"All Might," a deep voice suddenly sounded in the background. "I'll take it from here."

"Aizawa-kun?"

A familiar, disheveled, black-clad pro hero ambled into frame, pointing a disinterested, bloodshot stare into the camera.

"Okazaki, I trust you've been doing well?"

Ryoku narrowed his eyes into a suspicious glare at the sight of Aizawa Shota. All Might could be seen in the background uncomfortably glancing at Eraserhead as he continued to look silently into the camera. The sapphire-eyed teen no longer knew what was going on.

"Uh – "

"Why are you trying to answer? This isn't a livestream," an unsettling grin settled onto Aizawa's face.

"You think that's funny, bastard?" Ryoku railed at the projection as Shizuka grabbed hold of his arm to stop him from smashing the projector into pieces right then and there.

"Calm down and listen carefully now," Aizawa started again. Ryoku begrudgingly did as he was told.

"Like All Might already said, your written exam score was fine. You also performed well during the practical portion," Eraserhead continued evenly.

"However."

Ryoku's breath caught in his throat.

"You needed to be more than just acceptable, if you recall."

The Demon Quirked teen snorted as he thought about how the condition hadn't slipped his mind for a single second ever since it had been imposed on him.

"The amount of Villain points you scored wasn't enough to put you into the top three."

The teen felt his hands clench themselves into fists almost reflexively as his little sister hugged herself against his arm in an attempt to comfort him.

"However."

This time it was Ryoku's turn to pull his sister onto his lap and away from the projector as she flailed little punches and kicks at Aizawa's visage.

"Heroes are not only judged on their destructive abilities. You would do well to remember that," the ragged-looking pro hero continued. "You made a choice today, Okazaki. Even if only in that instance, you chose to forego surefire Villain points while your Quirk was fully charged in order to come to the aid of someone whom you recognized to be in danger."

A graphic of a scoring chart with names and point values suddenly appeared on-screen, and Ryoku's narrow eyes darted about to try and locate his standing. His little sister seemed to beat him to it as a small gasp escaped her throat.

"Of course, your rescue wasn't entirely rational."

A recording of the blue-eyed boy plummeting through the sky still in his flying kick pose after defeating the Zero-pointer suddenly began to play, and Ryoku grumbled in dissatisfaction as his sister looked at him bemusedly.

"You've made mistakes in your past, Okazaki. But our pasts do not define who we are."

"That being said," Aizawa said, directing a more serious look into the camera as the scoring chart once again appeared behind him. "Fifty-five Villain points. Twenty Rescue points."

Ryoku's eyes widened as he finally spotted his ranking. There was but one name atop his, a Katsuki Bakugo with 77 Villain points. Ryoku wondered to himself what kind of monster that guy must've been.

"Good for 75 points and second place. As we agreed upon, welcome to U.A."

It was a short, simple, and somewhat anticlimactic proclamation, but the sapphire-eyed teen found that he didn't mind as the projection slowly faded. He had to admit that Aizawa's no-nonsense nature appealed more to him than All Might's grandiose gesticulations. Not that it wasn't entirely shocking still that Japan's #1 Hero would be a sensei at the high school that Ryoku would be attending. He briefly considered the possibility that this had all just taken place in his sleep.

"Shizu, pinch me."

"You aren't dreaming."

Shizuka's voice trembled somewhat as she answered her brother. It seemed like all this had been a thorough surprise to her as well.

"Congratulations, Onii-chan," a small smile graced the girl's lips.

"I couldn't have done it without the support of my cute little sister."

"You say such embarrassing things," Shizuka retorted as she turned to leave her older brother's room. "Good night, Onii-chan. Perhaps you should inform whoever was making you smile on the phone earlier about what just happened. I'm sure you find them cute as well."

Ryoku stared incredulously as an ever-so-slight look of mischievousness danced upon his little sister's face. The teen let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding as soon as the door to his room clicked shut. He was becoming surer by the day that Shizuka would grow into someone to be feared.

Sapphire eyes stared hard at a broken-down phone resting atop a desk. Did Tsuyu want to discuss something like this? What if she hadn't been accepted into U.A.? But she must've gotten a good amount of rescue points for snatching him from his untimely demise, right? Why was the thought of her long, pink tongue wrapping around his body enough to make Ryoku feel warmer than usual?

A hand shot out as Ryoku grabbed his phone harshly.

_Hey Tsuyu-chan, di – _

The teen shook his head and deleted the words on his screen as he chose to go another route instead. Putting his phone to his ear, Ryoku felt his heartbeat accelerating each time the ringback tone sounded without response. He stared out his window at the familiar view of the nighttime city lights.

"Hello?" the Frog Girl answered finally, on the other end of the call.

"Tsuyu-chan, it's me," Ryoku responded, trying his best not to let his nervousness show in his voice.

"Okazaki-chan, are you calling about the test results?"

'_Man, Tsuyu-chan can be really straightforward sometimes. It's kinda cool.' _

"You can call me Ryoku."

The teen berated himself mentally as soon as the words left his mouth. That hadn't been anything close to an answer to her question. A sound that resembled something between a giggle and the Frog Quirked girl's signature _*kero* _came from the other end of the line. Ryoku fought back a peculiar feeling in his gut.

"Ryoku-chan," Tsuyu amended. "Did you pass?"

"Yeah," Ryoku breathed out. "I did. And you?" He waited anxiously for a response.

"Guess I'll be seeing you at U.A. then," Tsuyu said after a brief pause, her tone cheery as she replied.

The ponytailed teen smiled genuinely in relief as the lights outside seemed to become more vibrant in his sapphire eyes.

"I'm looking forward to it, Tsuyu-chan."

* * *

As much as he was naturally inclined toward pessimism, Ryoku felt as though things were beginning to look up as he stepped through U.A.'s hallowed gates, this time as a full-fledged student. He found that the school's uniform was a little stuffy for his tastes as he adjusted his necktie for what must've been at least the tenth time that morning. Still, he couldn't complain too much. This was his chance at a fresh start in life, and he planned to seize this opportunity with everything he had.

'_Be friendly and don't fight anyone. You can do this,' _the teen coached himself mentally.

*Thud*

"Oh, my ba –" Ryoku attempted to apologize to the student he'd accidentally bumped into before being roughly cut off.

"Watch where the fuck you're goin', punk."

Sharp eyes containing deep, red irises glared heatedly at Ryoku. The sapphire-eyed teen found himself staring back at a boy with spiky, ash blonde hair who stood about an inch shorter than him. A familiar, instinctive heat rushed through his body as his fists clenched at his sides.

'_Don't do it, Ryoku.'_

* * *

**These chapters always turn out longer than I expect them to be. Things will start picking up for Ryoku now that he's been accepted into U.A. As always, review if you liked the chapter, or even if you didn't. Constructive criticism is welcome. Follow if you want more. Peace and love, guys, I appreciate all of y'all.**


	5. Suggestions?

**Thanks for the continued support, guys! Writing this story over the past few weeks has been pretty great thanks all of you. The next chapter I write up for this may or may not be a side story type of deal. What do you guys think? Too early for a side story maybe? Or maybe you have interesting ideas that you'd like to suggest. Or maybe you're just not interested in that sort of thing at all, lol. I've always loved little side story chapters that mangaka will sometimes include in their works. Feel free to drop a review or inbox me if you have anything in mind. You aren't obligated to do so, of course. I appreciate you all either way 😊. Peace and love as always.**

**\- Livetake**


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